SEO Industry Mourns The Loss Of Dana Lookadoo

The SEO industry lost one of its favorites this week. Dana Lookadoo died early Monday after fighting a long and courageous battle with the life-threatening injuries that she suffered in a November 2013 cycling accident.

Her husband, Ed, shared the news Thursday night in a private Facebook group. When she was strong enough, Dana herself often posted in the group about her difficult rehabilitation. Despite the intense pain she was usually in, Dana — true to her spirit and personality — somehow managed to share these updates in ways that inspired everyone who read them.

Many of us knew Dana from the SEO conference circuit. She was a regular attendee and speaker at our SMX events, as well as many other conferences over the years. Those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing her in person probably encountered her online, perhaps on Twitter, Facebook or in a forum, where she was always willing to help and teach when the opportunity presented itself.

Dana was very smart and a gifted marketer; her clients and co-workers can attest to that. She was a woman of great faith, especially during the difficult 22 months since her accident; her Twitter stream is proof of that. She was always smiling, always warm, always interested in others, and always willing to lend an ear and a word of support — or whatever her friends needed.

Her husband, Ed, has asked that no flowers be sent. Instead, he says that friends are working on setting up a scholarship in Dana’s name to help marketing students earn their degrees. I’m sure Dana would be thrilled with that because she loved to help others succeed. When we know more about those plans, we’ll update this article.

There are few people in the SEO industry, if any, that were as universally loved and respected as Dana. Her openness about the accident brought us together then, and in death this week, she’s doing it again. Here’s a sample of some of the messages that the SEO industry has been sharing on Twitter since we heard the news Thursday night.

An entire industry grieves tonight. I pray for you all my friends. @lookadoo was the most amazing person full of true love & acceptance.

Dana was a great friend to me and all of us at Third Door Media who knew her. I’m sure I speak for all of my coworkers when I say that I can’t imagine not seeing her again at a future SMX conference, or anywhere else for that matter. We will miss you tremendously, Dana. We already do.